Ironing machine



' C. L. BRALEY.

IRONING MACHINE. APPLICATION'HLED DEC. 19. 1914.

1A1. 5,302., Patented May 9,, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W/TIVESSES: nvmv TOR I has A TTOR/VEY5 c. L. BBALEY. IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.-19| 1914.

1,41 5,302, Patented May 9, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INK/EN TOR r2615, firaZeg his/1 TTORNE V5 QC: 1 J I z T g 6 v BV C. L. BRALEY.

IRONING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED DEC.I9. 1914- 1,415,302.

as Mm 4 dw wd .w

C. L. BRALEY.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.19. 1914.

Patented May 9, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

, mus/won '67zarle5l2i7zz2ey 7w; ATTORNEYS V WITNESSES:

C. L. BRALEY.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.19,1914- Patented May 9, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES.

hi6 A TTOR/VE V5 UNITEDZ STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHARLES L. BRALEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

IRONING MACHINE.

Application filed December 19,1914. Serial No. 878,058.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, CHARLES L. BRALEY, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

The invention has for its object to improve the.constructi on of ironing machines, having particular reference to that class of ap paratus which is designed for ironing the yoke portion of a shirt bosom, including especially the portions which surround and lie adjacent to the neckband. A more particular object of the invention is to provide a machine which will iron a shirt so as to impart a natural and comfortable shape to the neckband, and in a manner that establishes and maintains a folding line for the yoke, coincident with the rear edge of the neckband. Such folding line when once established can be retained throughout the further operations on the shirt, provision being made for clamping the yoke portion or otherwise retaining the folding line when the garment is transferred to a bosom iron-' ing machine, it being understood that the present machineis preferably operated in conjunction with a bosom press, the garment being placed first on the yoke ironing machine and subsequently on the bosom ironing machine, and while the latter forms no part of the present invention. it is mentioned in order to afford a full and comprehensive understanding of the entire purpose of the present structure. The invention further contemplates the provision of a mechanism for ironing close up to the neckband,. irrespective of the size of the shirt, the parts being so constructed and related as to cause the movable ironing members to be brought into close engagement with the rear part of the neckband, thus obviating a disadvantage Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

the inside of the yoke, which portion is partially exposed to view within the neckband when the shirt is finally folded, and for automatically stretching this part of the garment in advance of the ironing opera- 1 tion. consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with one embodiment which is illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the bed and clamping member, said parts appearing in their normal or separated positions;

Figure 4 is a similar view, the clamping member having been partially moved and appearing in the position of initial engagement with the bed preliminarily to stretch ing the shirt;

Figure 5 is a similar view, the clamping member being entirely engaged with the bed;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the construction shown in Figure 1, the movable pressing members being in operative engagement with the bed;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional View, partly in plan, showing the movable ironing members engaged with the bedand neckband expander;

Figure 8 is a vertical. sectional-view on Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view showing the neckband expander adjusted or a large neckband and the movable ir ning members engaged therewith;

F ig.-10 is a detail cross section on the line 10--10 Fig. 5, and Fig. 11 is a detail cross section on the line 11 11, Fig. 6.

Similar reference characters throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the present embodiment, 1 designates the bed of the machine which is preferably stationary and arranged to be engaged by movable ironing members that will hereinafter be described, although it will be understood that I am not limited to this arrangement since the objects maybe attained in any manner which provides for a relative movement between an ironing. member and abed To these and other ends the invention' whereby the parts mentioned are brought into engagement with each other. The bed 1 is hollow as designated at 2 and adapted to be heated by any suitable heating medium such as steam which enters from a pipe 3 and is carried off through a return pipe 4. The bed 1 is attached to a standard 5 mounted upon a base 6.

The standard 5 is provided with arms 7 in which are mounted the upstanding posts 8 having slotted portions 9 for a purpose that will appear presently and connected at their upper ends by means of the top bar 10. Journaled in suitable hearings in the bar 10 is a shaft 11 which is rotatable and has fixed thereon the crank arms 12. Pivotally connected to the crank arms 12 are levers 13, the lower ends of which are slotted at 14: to engage projections 15 on the carrier or track 16 which is movable vertically and forms a support for the movable ironing members that will now be described. The carrier or track 16 is guided within the slotted portions 9 of the posts 8 and may be operated by a hand wheel 17 fixed on the shaft 11 and provided with a series of handles 18 and a weight 19 acting to retain the parts in normal position with the ironing members elevated.

The ironing members are designated generally at 20 and include holders 21 which are provided with guide wheels 22 arranged on bearings 23 and engaging the carrier 16 in the manner shown in Figures 1, 6 and 8. The holders 21 are hollow for engagement with stationary heating chambers 24 to which a heating medium may be supplied through the inlet pipe 25, the steam or other heating fluid passing out through the pipe 26 which connects with the pipe 3 in the bed already described. When the holders 21 are in their upper position, heat is transmitted to the ironing members from the heating chambers 24, the movable ironing members being thus constantly maintained in a heated state although other means for heating them may be adopted without departing fromthe essential features of the present invention. When the carrier 16 is lowered, the ironing members are forced into ironingrelation with the garment on the bed by means of the carrier 16 engaging holders 21.

The bed 1 may be padded on its upper surface. and is provided with an expander for stretching the neckband of a shirt, the expander being adjustable for cooperation with different sized neckbands, and the expander of the present arrangement comprf ses a front portion 27 which may be adjusted forwardly and backwardly in accordance with neckband expanders of well known types, and is connected with the rear portions 28 whereby they are moved laterally at the same time that the section 27 is moved forwardly, as illustrated in Figure 9 gardless of the size to which the neckband former is adjusted. For example, I provide the movable ironing members with curved surfaces 30- which are. formed so as to closely embrace the curved'edges 29 of the rear sections of the expander, as shown in Figure 9, irrespective of the size to which the expander is adjusted, provision being made for moving the ironing members laterally until they are in engagement with the neck band and the expander. To this end, the holders 21 are each connected by means of a spring 31 with the bar 10, these springs acting to draw the ironing members from the sides of the machine laterally towards the center. This movement of the holders 21 and the ironing members is resisted by the guides 32 which are mounted on the bar 10 and embody inclined surfaces 33 which areengaged by one of the shafts 23 carrying guide wheels 22 on each holder 21. With this arrangement,

it will be seen that when the carrier 16 is elevated to the position shown in Figure 1, the guides 32 maintain the movable ironing members at the outward limits of their lateral movement, and as the carrier is actuated downwardly, the springs 31 draw the ironing members toward the center of the 1035',

machine and toward the-neckband expander. The parts are so related that the guides 32 will retain the. holders 21 away from the extreme limits of their inward movements until the lower edges of the ironing mem- 1 bers shall have reached a point beneath the upper surface of the neckband expander so that further inward movement of the ironing memberswill bring them into engagement with the edges of the expander. In the final ironing position, the ironing members are in close engagement with the expander so that they are in position to contact with all of the yoke immediately adjacent to the neckband, leaving no unironed portions. In 2 this manner, a correct finish is imparted to the entire yoke portion of the shirt, the folding line being established on a line coincident with the rear edge of the neckband and the yoke is retained in such finished condition during the subsequent operation on the bosom ironing machine, when the bosom is finished up to the point where the garment is ironed on the machine ofthe present application. I

It is also ,desirable to finish the inside of the yoke, or'that portion which is exposed to view through the neckband when the shirt ing pivoted to the standard at 49.

is finally folded and to this end, I provide the bed with a curved metal surface 34 which engages the inside of the yoke and back of the shirt, the latter being preliminarily stretched and held-tightly against the ironin surface 34 by means of a movable clamping member, the construction and operation of which I will now describe. The clamping member includes a curved plate 35 conforming to the shape of the ironing surface 34. Theplate 35 is suitably padded and yieldably mounted on a supporting plate 36 which is movable toward and from the ironing surface and operates to maintain the clamp in yieldable engagement therewith. To this end, the clamping member -is mounted on springs 37 and carries bolts 38 which engage suitable openings in the supporting plate 36 and are surrounded by springs 39 arranged between the'clamping member and the supporting plate. The clamping member and supporting plate are shown in normal positlons in Figure 3, the supporting plate resting on blocks 40 and 41 which are secured to the bed. The supporting plate carries a lug 42 which is slotted at 43, said slotted portion being engaged by a pin 44 carried by the lever 45. The lever 45 is pivotally mounted on the-standard 5 at 4'6,

and 47 is a connecting rod which connects the lever 45 with a plate 48, the latter b}? T e plate 48 is slotted at 50, the slot 50 being adapted to receive the 'pin 51 mounted on the actuating lever 52 which is pivoted at 53 and provided with a suitable treadle 54. When the treadle 54 is depressed, it moves the pin 51 to the left of Figure 3, rocking the plate 48 in a corresponding direction and through the connecting rod 47, moves the clamping member upwardly to the position shown in Figure 4. This is the position of initial engagement between the clamping member and ironing surface 34, the front edge of the clamping member being first elevated owing to the upward travel of the pin 44. This operation causes the clamping member to engage the shirt on the ironing surface, and further movement of the lever 45 causes the clamp ing-member to be moved to the left in Figure 4, while in engagement with the ironing surface, thus stretching the shirt and smoothing the yoke until the parts assume the final position shown in Figure5. The clamping member may be held in engage ment with the ironing surface by any suitable locking instrumentalities and to this end I employ a locking lever 5.5 mounted on a shaft which carries a pawl 56 which engages any one of a series of teeth 57 ar- .locking pawl being thereupon moved laterally by the engagement of a cam surface 59 on the lever with a projection 60. The parts are returned to their normal position through the action of a spring 61 which is connected to a post 62 and to the lever 52. It will be 'understood that the. operating, locking, and releasing devices which I have just described are intended primarily for the purpose of illustration and the invention may be carried out in other ways than that disclosed; and'while I have shown separate controlling means for the movable ironing members and the clamping member, the invention is not confined to such an arrangement and it is my purpose to cover by this application any mechanism embodying a pair of ironing members 00- operating with the portions of a shirt or garment adjacent to the neckband in the manner set forth in this application, also a' relative vertical movement between the ironing members and bed to bring said members into engagement with the bed, and means for producing lateral movement of said ironing members into ironing relation with the neck band expander simultaneously with said relative vertical movement.

2. The combination with a stationary bed of an ironing machine, of a vertically movable carrier, a pair of ironing members mounted on the carrier, and means for moving said ironing members toward and from each other during the downward and upward movements of the carrier.

3. The combination with a bed having a heated ironing surface for engaging the inside of a shirt or garment, of a clamping member cooperating with said ironing surface to hold a shirt thereagainst, said clamping member having a pivotal sliding motion in one direction with relation to the heated ironing surface for engagin the inside of a shirt or garment, of a c amping member cooperating with saidironing surface to hold a shirt thereagainst and means for bringing the clamping member into engagement with a shirt on-the bed by initially engaging one edge of the clamping member against the bed and thereafter sliding said edge along the bed while in engagement and simultaneously rocking the clamping member until it is completely engaged with the ironing surface.

5. The combination with a bed havinga heated ironing surface for engaging the inside of a-shirt or garment, of a clamping member cooperating with said ironing surface to hold a shirt thereagainst, and means operating to stretch the shirt by operating the clamping member initially into partial engagement with the bed and thereafter moving the clamping member bodily with relation to the bed until it is completely engaged.

6. The combination with a bed of an ironing machine and a carrier, one of which parts is movable relatively to the other, of a neck band expander mounted on the bed, a pair of ironing members arranged on the carrier, and means acting automatically to move the ironing members into ironing relation with the neck band expander as the carrier is brought into ironing relation with the bed.

7. The combination with a heated ironing surface, of a clamping member cooperating with said ironin surface and having both a pivotal and a s iding motion in one direction with relation thereto so as to stretch a garment preliminary to clamping it.

8. The combination with a heated ironing surface, of a clamping member cooperating therewith, and means acting to stretch'a garment by moving said clamping member initially into partial engagement with the ironing surface and then along the same in one direction.

9. An ironing machine, comprising a bed carrying a neckband former, two oppositely disposed yoke ironers one on either side of said former, said ironers extending from the former laterally to the edges of the bed and being laterally movable substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bed and means for producing said lateral movement.

10. An ironin machine, comprising a bed carryin a neck and former, two oppositely disposed side yoke ironers one on either side of the former, and means for producing simultaneous inward movement of said ironers.

11. An ironing machine, comprising'a bed carrying aneckband former, two oppositely dis osed yoke ironers one on either side of sai former, said ironers extending from the and being laterally movable substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bed, and means for producing said lateral movement and relative vertical motion between said ironers and bed.

12. An ironing machine, comprising a bed carryin a neckband former, two oppositely disposed yoke ironers one on either side of said former, saidironers extending from the former laterally to the edges of the bed and being laterally movable substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bed, and heating members in heat radiating contact with said ironers whenout of ironing position.

13. An ironing machine, comprising a stationary bed carrying a neckband former, two oppositely disposed yoke ironers one on' either side of the former, said ironers extending from the former laterally to the edges of the bed and being laterally movable substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bed, means for producing downward motion of said ironers into ironing engagement with the bed, and stationary heating members for said ironers located above the ironing portions thereof and in heat radiating contact with said ironers when out of ironing position.

14. An ironing machine, comprising a bed carrying a neckband former, two oppositely disposed yoke-ironers one on either side of the former, said ironers extending from the former laterally to the edges of the bed, means for producing relative vertical motion between said ironers and bed, and means for producing vertical motion and simultaneous lateral movement of said ironers relative to the bed to move them into and out of ironing relation with the neckband former.

15. In a machine for ironing the yokes of shirts, an ironing board, a frame above the ironing board, and irons slidably carried upon said frame, said frame having heating chambers located above the ironing por- Y tions of said irons.

16. An ironing machine, comprising a bed carrying a neck band former, two ironin members one on either side of the neck ban former and each extending therefrom laterally to a side edge of the bed and adapted to iron the exposed portions ofthe yoke at the sides of the former and establish a foldin line therein, means for supporting and guiding said members for lateral movement into and out of 'engaging'relation with the neck band on said former, and means for producing relative vertical motion between said members and bed.

, CHARLES L. BRALEY. I

Witnesses: N. GERTRUDE Wnnxs H. E. S'rommmm. 

